South Africa offers an abundance of juicy citrus fruits, perfect to enjoy in citrus-forward classic cocktails like the Blinker and the Daiquiri. By adding fresh in-season local citrus juices, cocktail lovers can serve up a taste sensation on a sunny day.

Cheers! Spirits from the U.S.A

The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States’ (DISCUS) “Cheers! Spirits from the U.S.A” campaign in South Africa hosted an interactive virtual cocktail demonstration where local buyers and hospitality personalities discovered how lemons, oranges, grapefruit and naartjies pair beautifully with American Whiskeys and other distilled spirits in a range of delicious cocktails.

The Old-Fashioned

George Hunter, an award-winning mixologist, kicked off the event by exhibiting the simplicity of the classic Old-Fashioned cocktail. Using 44ml of Maker’s Mark, 10ml of sugar syrup, and a dash of aromatic bitters, the drink is served with ice and a twist of orange zest in a tumbler.

Mr. Hunter’s tip for making an Old Fashioned is to use more ice than what a typical recipe may recommend to prevent too much dilution and to create a velvety texture to the drink.

The Blinker Cocktail

Hunter also prepared a Blinker cocktail – a crisp blend of American Rye Whiskey, grapefruit juice, bitters and grenadine. Make one at home with 44ml American Rye or Bourbon, 60ml fresh grapefruit juice, 15ml grenadine and 5 dashes of grapefruit bitters. Add to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for about 10 seconds. Strain into a stemmed glass and garnish with a disk of grapefruit peel. To add extra citrus flavour and aroma, squeeze some oils from the grapfruit peel over the surface of the drink.

You could also muddle Spekboom leaves or a piece of Aloe, for a quintessential South African flavour.

The Clover Club

The Clover Club, a drink that works well in any season, and suits all tastes is slightly more complex, but worth the effort. Using 44mls of fine American gin, a shot of fresh lemon juice, a shot of raspberry syrup and the white of one egg (or vegan cellulose), blend the ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. The drink must then be strained into another shaker for what bartenders call a dry shake, to increase the foam of the egg white. Serve in a cocktail glass, garnished with fresh raspberry skewers, an edible flower or lemon zest.

The Classic Daiquiri

The classic Daiquiri is a sour style drink and the foundation on which most bartenders create cocktail menus today. The base of the cocktail is 44mls of American rum, with 20mls of sugar syrup, and one shot of fresh lime juice. The ingredients are blended in a shaker with ice, strained into a cocktail glass and served simply with no garnish.

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